


But I Linger On, Dear

by ineffablefool



Series: INNWverse [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: (mentioned a lot because Fat Positivity), (not mentioned but he is), Alternate Universe - Human, Asexual Relationship, Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Chubby Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Established Relationship, Fluff, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, No Sex, No Smut, Romance, Trans Crowley (Good Omens), fat positivity, it's the Soft Zone(TM) these things happen, like an extraordinarily large amount you guys, the very tiniest bit of emotional Hurt smothered in oceans of Comfort, very very soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablefool/pseuds/ineffablefool
Summary: Crowley was flopped onto a chair with a stepladder in his lap when Aziraphale came down the stairs.“What,” Aziraphale began, interrupting himself with a huge yawn, “what on earth are you up to?”Crowley shrugged.  “You said you thought one of the folding ladders was a bit wobbly, yesterday.”  He gave the screwdriver a few more turns.  “Figured I’d tighten them all up.  Just this one and I’m done.”(human!Aziraphale had a troubling dream.  human!Crowley applies cuddles.)
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: INNWverse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1644742
Comments: 41
Kudos: 255
Collections: Aspec-friendly Good Omens





	But I Linger On, Dear

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Soft Zone(TM)! Today I offer you some extreme softness (with just a tiny bit of hurt immediately piled upon by probably lethal quantities of comfort) which takes place in the same universe as my accidental novel of a human AU, [If Not Now, When](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20936816). **This occurs a year or so after the end of INNW, so it could be considered a spoiler.** If you haven't read INNW but would still like to read this story, though, that's fine! Just keep in mind, Crowley is trans, Aziraphale is fat, and they love each other very much.
> 
> There is some use of the word "fat" here, but it's always loving.
> 
> The title is part of a lyric from [Dream A Little Dream Of Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6TmogXhOZ8).
> 
> I'm writing for the TV characterization, but I've decided that my written Aziraphale is visibly fat. Tumblr and AO3 user Squeegeelicious has created [this absolutely gorgeous artwork](https://ineffablefool.tumblr.com/post/189282541139/squeegeelicious-a-walk-to-the-ritz-for) for my first human AU [If Not Now, When](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20936816), which should help you know what to visualize as you read!

Crowley was flopped onto a chair with a stepladder in his lap when his husband came down the stairs.

“What,” Aziraphale began, interrupting himself with a huge yawn, “what on _earth_ are you up to?”

Crowley shrugged. “You said you thought one of the folding ladders was a bit wobbly, yesterday.” He gave the screwdriver a few more turns. “Figured I’d tighten them all up. Just this one and I’m done.”

“It’s two in the morning, Crowley.”

There. All of the rickety things fixed up for now. He stood up again, setting it back where he’d found it, leaving the screwdriver on a convenient shelf. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Aziraphale wandered a little closer, still rubbing at his eyes. He’d been dead to the world when Crowley snuck out of bed. Didn’t so much as stir when Crowley kissed his cheek. This time, when Crowley pulled him close enough to do it again, he squirmed and uttered a sleepy little mewl. Pouted, ever so slightly, when Crowley stopped.

“And what are you doing up, then? Seems to me all good little angels should be tucked in, this time of night.”

Aziraphale buried his face in Crowley’s shoulder. “I woke up and you weren’t there. And I’d just had such a strange dream, so at first I wasn’t sure whether I was really awake... or thought perhaps I was, but everything _else_ was a dream, and you’d never... we’d never...”

“Angel,” Crowley murmured, tickling his fingers through the pale curls. “‘M really here. You know that, yeah?”

No words in answer to that. But Aziraphale sighed deeply, round body leaning into Crowley.

“Both really here. Both in our shop with the ladders fixed up. Won’t have you falling and getting hurt. Want me to hold you?”

“Yes, please.”

Crowley slipped his arms around Aziraphale’s beautiful fat waist. So soft, his angel, snuggling even closer to him. Heavy, too. Warm. He rubbed a hand over Aziraphale’s back, trying to soothe away the little bit of tension he could feel.

“I don’t think you knew me,” Aziraphale said abruptly. “In my dream. We were both somewhere, and... you looked at me like...”

Pudgy hands dug tighter into Crowley’s t-shirt.

“Was just a dream.”

“I know,” Aziraphale said against his shoulder, but he sounded doubtful.

Crowley kissed the side of Aziraphale’s head, then did it again for good measure. Three times. “Let me look at you. K? See how the real me looks at you.”

He thought Aziraphale might not play along, thought maybe it would take some more cuddles first. Which, he was absolutely one thousand percent on board with the cuddles. Just didn’t like Aziraphale feeling uneasy meanwhile.

Then the wide body shifted, pulled back just enough for Aziraphale to look up at him.

Crowley gave his back another rub. “Hey there.”

Gorgeous blue-gray eyes held his for a moment. So worried, beneath Aziraphale’s sweet wrinkled brow, above the adorable tilt of his nose and precious double chin. His gentle mouth, the same one that could say such clever things, and then such ridiculous ones, but always in the same heavenly voice.

So ridiculous, his angel. So clever. Crowley didn’t know how dream-Crowley had looked at Aziraphale, but if he’d realized how lucky he was just to be near him, then it would’ve been with wonder, with awe, with all the love a human heart could hold and then some —

“Oh, _stop_ ,” Aziraphale exclaimed, blushing bright red, “do stop, I can’t stand it.” But he was smiling, too, as he leaned on Crowley’s shoulder again. His hands relaxed against Crowley’s chest.

This time, the kiss Crowley pressed to Aziraphale’s hair was rewarded with a wiggle. Just a little one.

“Look at you any time you want, by the way. To remind you how I do it.”

Aziraphale hummed agreeably, nuzzling into his chest and doing something agonizingly wonderful to his heart.

Then he yawned hard enough that Crowley could hear his jaw crack. “Oh my.”

“Good little angels,” Crowley said firmly, “should be in bed.”

“Not alone, though?”

There was hesitation mixed with archness in the question, in Aziraphale’s face as he drew back to look at Crowley again. A hopeful little quiver to his pout, less of the usual _we both know you will_ and more _oh, I hope you do_. He still tucked his head down just as prettily, though. There was still that deep crease of chin, the one that Crowley would never be able to resist, not if he had eternity to get used to it.

“Not fair, bringing out the big guns,” he grumbled. “Who went and told you you had a secret weapon against me, anyway?”

Aziraphale didn’t quite giggle, but his eyes gleamed. “A very handsome man of my acquaintance. I may just marry him someday.”

“Little late for that, I think.” Crowley removed one arm from around Aziraphale’s pretty softness, and pulled Aziraphale’s hand from his chest. The left hand.

When he wove their fingers together, their wedding rings clinked softly.

“Think you’re stuck with me instead.”

Aziraphale didn’t laugh at that either. The gleam in his eyes was a little different, now. “Good.”

He pulled their joined hands to his lips, brushing a kiss against Crowley’s shivering skin.

“G. Get you back to bed now, yeah? Need your sleep.” Crowley started to lead him back toward the stairs. “Tuck you in nice and cozy —”

Aziraphale’s eyebrows started to draw together.

“— and not alone. Think I could maybe sleep now.”

“Then I can, too.” Aziraphale followed willingly, his hand a warm weight in Crowley’s as they climbed. “You’ll hold me, won’t you, darling?”

“Course I will. Always.”

He coaxed Aziraphale into bed first. Made sure the covers were pulled up snug around him, then smoothed pretty curls back from his forehead and left a kiss in their place. “Love you so much, beautiful angel.”

The sweetest eyes in the world smiled back at him. “I love you too, my very handsome man. Now come to bed.”

No need to ask twice. Crowley turned out the light, slunk over to his side of bed, and slid back beneath the covers. Aziraphale sighed as he wriggled up behind him, one ankle hooking over a round calf. One arm wrapping over the even rounder belly. All the perfect rolls and bumps and curves of Aziraphale, spread out beneath his touch, squeezing softly under his hand.

Crowley wasn’t sure how he’d ever managed to sleep without a gorgeous fat angel in his arms. Wasn’t worth thinking about anymore. Was the past. This was his future.

“Thank you, darling,” Aziraphale murmured. His belly rose with his breath, fell again. The rhythm was slow and soothing. “For fixing the ladders.”

“Just want you safe. Happy and safe.”

A little pause. Then, barely above a whisper: “I am.”

Crowley closed his eyes. In the morning, he’d cook them breakfast, and Aziraphale would open the shop. They’d have a busy day of scaring off customers and not selling anything and maybe a nice long stroll in the afternoon. Probably they’d kiss a lot. No, _definitely_ they’d kiss a lot. That was now his goal for the day.

Tonight was for sleep, though, snuggled up warm in their bed. Crowley had an angel’s dreams to watch over, and he didn’t want to miss out on that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you were thinking of leaving a comment, please know that I treasure every single one. I've literally cried a few times reading some of the lovely things people have said, and they really are fuel for my soft little heart -- but never, ever required, so please don't feel pressured. 
> 
> If you want to say hi on Tumblr, I'm [ineffablefool](https://ineffablefool.tumblr.com) there, too.
> 
> I would never actively request art from anyone I wasn't paying, but if you, the human reading this, were to decide it was worth your time to create fanart based on any of my stories, I would be incredibly honored ([and would love to enshrine it forever on my Tumblr](https://ineffablefool.tumblr.com/tagged/ineffablefool-gets-fanart-from-lovely-people))! I have only one requirement: please don't draw Aziraphale any thinner than the size I headcanon (I need both my soft cuddly daydreams, and my positive fat representation). Here are some examples of what that sort of minimum body size/shape might look like: ([beautiful fanart created for me by Squeegeelicious](https://ineffablefool.tumblr.com/post/189282541139/squeegeelicious-a-walk-to-the-ritz-for)) ([speremint 1](https://speremint.tumblr.com/post/186342035100/i-did-this-instead-of-my-hw-ya-girl-is-gonna)) ([speremint 2 from her Reversed Omens AU](https://speremint.tumblr.com/post/186574829700/finally-finally-done-making-these-refs-my)) ([dotstronaut](https://dotstronaut.tumblr.com/post/186740069618/no-really-i-dont-think-you-all-understand-how)) Otherwise, the characters can look however you like!
> 
> I hope you're having a fantastic day.


End file.
